Marshmallows
by jayer
Summary: Kara gets to spend the holiday with her families but her thoughts keep wandering back to a different family
1. Chapter 1

"I guess you guys will do something big, being Thanksgiving and you're top of the list. That's a big thing to be thankful for."

Dash laughed, "We usually do a big dinner with all the turkey and stuff, but my parents said we could do anything I wanted."

"Dangerous thing to say."

"I told my dad I wanted to go to Hawaii and he said okay."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. Then I said I was kidding and wanted to just have our normal crazy dinner with all the aunts and uncles and my 15 cousins."

"Wow. we just have the four of us and my grandmother." Leo laughed. "Em, your parents taking you out?"

"Yeah. Just for the day."

"You don't sound excited."

"A day that centers around food, not really my idea of a good time." Emma shrugged. "But I do kind of want to see them."

"I can't wait." Kara plopped down on a bean bag. "So bored with this place. Three whole nights away from here is going to be paradise."

"How'd you swing that?"

"Two sets of parents is sometimes a great thing. My mothers are picking me up tonight and tomorrow we're going have a day on the town. I seriously need a mani-pedi and my hair is a total disaster. Dinner tomorrow night before they take me to my father's for our real Thanksgiving with my grandparents."

"Sounds nice."

"uh huh." Kara picked at her nails. "So Jordi what does your family do?"

"Kara." Emma glared at her. "He's Mexican. They don't do Thanksgiving."

"Guess you aren't as smart as you think you are. Jordi was born in Nevada, that makes him an American."

"How'd you know that?" Jordi gave Kara a curious look.

"I heard the nurses talking. Nurse Dippity Dork said something about if you could be deported and the gay one said you were born in Nevada so you should be safe.

"And you didn't answer my question. What did you and your mom do for Thanksgiving?"

Jordi shrugged. "Usually spent it at a casino. Or my mom did. She wasn't big on real jobs, probably still isn't. They usually had good buffets and my mom would smuggle food out for me. Cold turkey isn't that bad. And there usually lots of holiday movies on tv."

"Lame. I mean your mom couldn't spend one day with you."

Emma frowned. "And you're stuck here by yourself. You should come with me and my parents. I know they wouldn't mind."

"Or mine."

"Dude, we'll have enough for a small army."

"Guys, its cool. Thanks. But I have chemo tomorrow and I'm puking every night. Plus I barely get any sleep. I'll just be wasted all day and I'll be a total downer. You guys just go have fun with your families and bring back a lot of stories to tell me, okay. And maybe a piece of pie."

"Pumpkin, pecan or sweet potato?" Leo ginned. "Even better, one of each."

"Sounds great." Jordi laughed.

"Hey Kara." Nurse Dobler knocked on the door frame. "Your moms are here."

"Free at last." Kara jumped up. "Later losers. Don't bother missing me cause I won't miss you."


	2. Chapter 2

"Kara. Kara?"

"Sweetheart, are you okay?"

"What?" Kara looked up.

"Where were you?"

Kara realized she hadn't been paying attention to the conversation. She had been staring at the wristband on her arm, looking like a total freak.

"No where. What did you say?"

"I asked you how the Osso Buco is."

"Yummy."

"You've hardly touched it."

"Something on your mind?"

Kara looked at her mothers. They had been strangely attentive since they picked her up from the hospital. Almost like they were trying to make up for their disastrous visit when they tried to turn her into the next Oprah/Ellen power moment. All day it had been about what she wanted, was she having a good time, what did she like. Kara was never one to shy away from being the center of attention but she found herself thinking about the hospital. When she got to the condo the night before she almost took off her wrist band but was afraid she'd forget it. That she even cared was disconcerting. She had put on a long sleeve shirt to cover it up but it kept creeping out and catching her eye.

"I was just thinking about something."

"What, honey?"

"It's nothing." Kara look a bite of her food. It really was good. Way better than the stuff at the hospital. Although in truth anything was better than the stuff at the hospital.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." They went back to eating. Soon the meal was over and they were in the car heading home.

"Okay, it is something." Kara blurted out as they walked into the living room.

"I keep thinking about school and the hospital." Kara plopped into her favorite chair, her mothers quietly sitting down on the sofa next to her. "I was like a total Regina George at school and everyone just acted like it was totally cool. But then homecoming was this major disaster cause everyone was all "you poor pitiful thing" when I know that half of them were happy I was in the hospital cause I was such a total bitch. And the other half were just shocked to find out I have a heart at all."

"Oh honey I'm sure that's not true."

"Trust me, it is. The only person that was totally honest was Leo. Lame Ass Leo One Leg from the hospital who wasn't even supposed to be there but he crashed the party, which is not a tale worth repeating. At least I thought he was a lame ass but he's really not. Not completely. He's a freak and not cause of the leg thing. I mean throwing a party for some kid getting his leg cut off, and his stupid red wristbands. And that gross thing he said about me being like skin. Freak much.

"And he's not the only one. They're all freaks. Even Emma, who you think is so cool. She's totes adorable with her quirky outfits and her perfect, albeit flat chested, body. Leo, Jordi, even probably Dash, all drool over themselves over her. And she's so sweet it's gross. But all she can think about is not eating and that's totally weird. She just studies all the time and doesn't eat cause she doesn't think she's pretty.

"And Dash is at the top of the transplant list and doesn't even know if he wants to do it. That's totally psycho.

"And Jordi, wow talk about super freak. He's pathetic to the max. His mom is this loser who ignored him half the time like he was a pet instead of a kid. Then she ships him off to his grandmother. And his grandmother is total cuckoo for cocoa puffs, she wouldn't let him go to the hospital cause she doesn't believe cancer is real. So he had to run away from home. And then his mom turns up for like a day before she freaks out cause he puked and runs off for good. Like don't bother me ever for good. Not he's all sad sap guy who's a total downer when he's not puking all the time from all the crap they keep giving him.

"Bunch of messed up freak losers and I've been thinking all day that I'd rather be at the hospital with them. I mean you love you guys but its like for the first time I have real friends that don't act nice to me cause they don't want me to be a bitch to them. Most of the time they're just as bitchy to me and I kind of like it."

"So you want to go back to the hospital?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. I want to do something. I don't know what. But I keep thinking about how the rest of us left with our families and Jordi's there all by himself. And he's probably not the only one."

"Do you need some ideas?"

"No I want to figure this out myself."

"Okay. Well if you change your mind you know you can ask."

"Thanks."

"Now how about some hot chocolate, little mini marshmallows?"


	3. Chapter 3

"What are you losers doing here?" Kara smirked as she walked into the room.

"We couldn't let Jordi be here all by himself." Emma rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be having a spa day?"

"That was yesterday and it was fabulous." Kara nodded at the pile of food. "That doesn't look like hospital food."

"For your info, it is only the finest foods from the Hosney family dinner. J-Man needs some real food if he's going to keep his strength up."

"So what are you doing here?"

"Well, Leo, I had a brilliant idea for how to score some points with the transplant committee. Get out of this freak show even sooner."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"You'll see soon enough"

"You can't just tell us."

"I could, but it's more fun if it's a surprise."

"More fun for who?"

"Me." Kara grinned. "Course you don't have to come. You could just keep being losers hanging out in here. I'm sure Jordi just loves being in bed all the time."

"Hey Kara, there you are." Dr McAndrew stuck his head in the room. "What is that?" He asked when he saw the containers.

"Thanksgiving dinner." Dash grinned. "Turkey, gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce. Brought it for J-Man."

"I'm sorry, Jordi, but you can't eat that." Dr McAndrew said solemnly.

"Why not?" Jordi protested.

"There's no candied yams. It's not a proper dinner without candied yams. I can't have you going half ass on this."

"Candied yams?" Leo laughed.

"Sweet potatoes with tons of butter and brown sugar. And the marshmallows toasted on top. It's a vital Thanksgiving food."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. Candied yams are like eating dessert in the middle of dinner. And the best part is that after dinner, you still get to eat dessert."

"I already ate them." Jordi picked up an empty container.

Dash grinned. "My grandmother makes some majorly bomb ass sweet potatoes."

"Oh, well in that case, Bon Appetit." Dr McAndrew laughed. "Kara, I got your request and yes you can take Charlie."

"Really?"

"Yes. I think it could be really good. The nurses are getting ready him right now."

"Ready for what? What's this thing?"

"Sorry Leo," Dr McAndrew threw up his hands. "I'm sworn to secrecy.

"Now you better eat up cause everything's almost ready."

Dr McAndrew motioned to Kara to step into the hallway. "Just promise me it's not Frozen. I'm totally sick of that movie."

"You and me both."

"Good cause my shift ended ten minutes ago. Figured since there need to be some adult supervising this little party trick of yours, I'd volunteer. But if I hear 'do you wanna build a snowman' one more time, I might out vomit even Jordi."

"Well he's fluffy and he's white, but he's not a snowman."

"What is he?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."


	4. Chapter 4

"Seriously, you aren't going to tell us?"

"Nope. Now hurry up."

Jordi pulled his sweatshirt over his head. "I'm hurrying."

"You won't at least give us a clue?" Leo nagged as they walked down the hall.

"If I give you a clue will you stop acting like a brat?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Let's just say my mothers aren't just one of the top ten lesbian power couples in Southern California, they are way connected. They know folks at a bunch of places. Hotels, restaurants, movie studios, especially Disney."

"Could they get us passes to Disneyland?"

"Yeah, but probably not a good idea. I mean Jordi can barely stand up without turning green. The last thing anyone wants is for him to hork on someone in the middle of Space Mountain."

"So we aren't going to Disneyland?"

"Not tonight."

"But it IS something Disney?"

"Yep." Kara stopped in front of the playroom. "And we're here."

They went into to find that someone had brought a large flat screen TV and set it up on top of the toy shelves. A small crowd of the younger kids were already sitting, more or less patiently, on the floor.

"You're late." Dr McAndrew was sitting in the back next to Charlie's wheelchair, "We were about to start without you."

Jordi wheeled over next to Charlie. "Hey Charlie." The others grabbed chairs and gathered around.

Dr McAndrew held out a remote control. "Kara, want to do the honors."


	5. Chapter 5

_"__Low Battery"_

"Dude, he's like totally drunk." Dash laughed.

"Shhh." One of the little boys hushed him.

Jordi and Leo snickered.

"What do you think, Charlie." Kara whispered. For a moment she thought he was smiling just a little, although she was probably imagining it.

Kara looked up when she heard all the kids laughing. She had missed something but she wasn't all that upset. She could always watch it again later. She was surprised about how good she felt. She had been telling the truth, well some of it, when she told the others it was all a game to score points with the committee. A committee she thought Dr McAndrew might be on, since he was a surgeon. She looked over and was amused to see that even he was smiling and laughing, one of the little girls curled up in his lap.

But the truth was, it wasn't just about the committee. She was tired of Jordi being all glum and pathetic. She knew it wasn't really his fault, she heard Dr McAndrew and the nurses telling him that the drugs would mess around with his head. And then there was the whole thing with his mother. And the general feeling like crap which wasn't fun. The only person who might be having a worse time was Charlie. They said he could see and hear things even if he wasn't talking and, nasty farting aside, she liked him. Leo for some inexplicable reason had given Charlie a red band so they were all kind of Team Charlie. But Kara felt like she had a weird connection to him after that whole weird dream thing. She knew it wasn't real, people don't really talk to each other in dreams. She just made a lucky guess about Milo being his dad and hey what kid doesn't like pizza. But still, she wanted to really see him smile, hear him laugh. She surprised herself thinking things like that.

_"__It's like spooning a warm marshmallow."_

"I could totally use one of those." Jordi pulled his robe closed and wrapped his arms around his chest. "Wouldn't be freaking cold all the time."

"He's pretty bomb." Dash nodded. "This song is kind of bomb too. Bet you could write something like that."

"Maybe."

"Whoa." Dash laughed. "Okay, I want him with the suit."

"That's one way to avoid traffic on the 405." Dr McAndrew laughed.

"Okay that totally rocked." Leo laughed as the credits rolled. "Best part, no cheesy songs to hear over and over and over."

"You know, there are already hospitals trying to build robots to help care for patients." Emma piped up. "But they probably aren't as cute."

"Thank you, Elsa." A trio of little girls hugged Kara.

"You're welcome." Kara smiled at them. "Bye bye."

"Kara being nice to some kids, that's a new one." Dash laughed.

"I can be nice when I want to be." Kara glared.

"You should be nice more often." Dr McAndrew smiled at her. "This was a really good thing oyu did. Tell your mother thank you. She helped make these kids a lot happier. You both did. And that's never a bad thing."

"Who knew?"

"Knew what?"

"That Kara the Queen Bitch might actually be a gooey warm marshmallow."


End file.
